“George has been trying to get me to drive for him for a couple of years and I decided to give it a try. So far everybody has been great and it’s nice to win some races.”

Mike Jarvis is enjoying his first venture to California, having already made quite a few winner’s circle appearances at Cal Expo in partnership with trainer George Anthrop.

The 61-year-old native of Canada got the harness bug when he was just 11 years old in his native Collingwood.

“There was a fairgrounds there and I started working for Clarence Lockhart cleaning out stalls for 50 cents an hour. He ended up teaching me about the game from the ground up.”

In addition to learning from Lockhart, who was renowned for his expertise with trotters, Jarvis also got a great education with Keith Waples, who took him to Blue Bonnets.

“I drove my first race at Barrie Raceway when I was 19 and won with a pacer named Problem Drinker. A few years later I got married and went out on my own.”

Jarvis captured a trio of driving titles and had one of his best years in 1987 when he had four of the best performers on the grounds.

“There was Alle Milas, who was a Niatross, and Classy Superstar, who was by Bret Hanover. We did real well with both of them.”

Jarvis recorded the fastest victory of his career in 1991 when he guided Armbro Liqueur to a 1:50 flat victory in an Invitational at Woodbine Racetrack.

“I won quite a few races with him and eventually lost him in a $100,000 claimer.”

The scariest moment in his career came five years ago in Ohio, when an accident left him with a broken collarbone, three broken ribs and two broken wrists.

“It was pretty bad and I had to cut back a little after that.”

Fast forward to the present and Jarvis is doing quite well in his initial invasion of the Golden State while looking forward to many more picture sessions.

A $6,000 Open Trot and a pair of $10,000 California Sire Stakes for the three-year-old pacing and trotting fillies will be decided at the Watch and Wager LLC meeting at Cal Expo Friday night. A 16-race card is set with first post at an earlier 5:30 p.m.

(Cal Expo)